Two Dancers Rise to the Top
Dance magazine released its prestigious list of “25 to Watch” for 2018 and not one, but two Purchase alumnae caught its eye. Every year the magazine recognizes emerging dancers, choreographers, and companies “on the cusp of breaking out.”
Connie Shiau
“With her intense inner focus, you feel her making choices right in the moment onstage, and you can’t help but be mesmerized,” writes Jennifer Stahl.
Connie Shiau ’12 is a dancer with Abraham.in.Motion (Kyle Abraham ’00). She returned to Purchase with the company last fall to dance in Dearest Home at the Performing Arts Center. In 2014, she was a recipient of the Reverb Dance Festival Best Dancer Award.
Raven Barkley
“In an emotional solo, she spins like a slow-moving mobile, projecting a sense of yearning that cuts to the quick,” writes Steve Sucato.
Raven Barkley ’15 has been with the Charlotte Ballet since 2015, where in her first season she landed the lead in the “Winter” section of Sasha Janes’ Four Seasons. Janes recognized Barkley’s ability to jump as high as the men do and capitalized on her athleticism, placing her on stage surrounded by ten male dancers.
In her first year at Purchase, Barkley was the only freshman to dance in The Nutcracker, performing as the Sugar Plum Fairy.
In 2012, PURCHASE magazine featured Barkley on its cover for the story, “Rising Sophomores, Rising Stars;” faculty recognized early that she was a standout.
